People were gathered and seated in the large conference room.

They listened closely to the man presenting in front of the screen.

"The software development headcount at Ilhyeon Electronics stands at a level above 1,200. From OS development through to maintenance, each department carries 30 percent more people than the manpower level we judged necessary. This is not the time to grow the organization; it is the time to slim down an organization that has swollen beyond expectation. McInsey therefore recommends a full reorganization. If reorganization and slimming are carried out, Ilhyeon Electronics' software development headcount can be cut by more than 500, and…"

Ilhyeon Electronics' top brass were listening to a presentation by McInsey Consulting's Asia-Pacific lead.

The McInsey lead argued for the headcount reduction with everything he had, and said that if they followed the consulting he had laid out they could save more than 30 billion a year in labor costs and associated expenses.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

After the eager presentation, the McInsey lead turned to Seong-ho Kim, who was looking over the data McInsey had supplied, and asked carefully,

"Vice-Chairman. Would you have any questions?"

Tap.

Seong-ho Kim closed the report he had been reading and set it down on the table.

Then he put a question to the McInsey lead standing in front of the screen.

"So am I right that you are saying Ilhyeon Electronics' software department is too bloated?"

"Yes. The analysis says a headcount reduction of 30 percent at the minimum and 50 percent at the maximum is required."

"On what grounds?"

"Sorry?"

"The grounds for calling it bloated, I mean. I'm curious what the grounds are for saying 50 percent of the headcount is more than we need."

Seong-ho Kim tapped the report with his finger as he spoke.

The McInsey lead answered with an awkward look on his face.

"It should be in the report — did you perhaps not see it?"

"I saw it. But I didn't follow it."

Seong-ho Kim tapped the report once more and said,

"What it comes to is that Ilhyeon Electronics has to…